Fallout: 3162
by Bill382
Summary: With the Institute defeated, Elder Maxson has a new mission for the Sole Survivor: transport a unique armored train from the Commonweath to the Capital Wasteland. Featuring characters old and new, it's a wasteland adventure screaming down the rails at full steam ahead!
1. Chapter 1: Commonwealth

War. War never changes. The campaign against the Commonwealth's boogeyman, the Institute, proved costly. Among the many lost included Brotherhood soldiers, fellow Minuteman, the entire Railroad, and even my only son. Still, I don't regret submitting the Institute to nuclear fire. God only knows what would have happened if they had continued to experiment with their Synths. With the Institute gone, the Commonwealth breathed a collective sigh of relief. The Minutemen returned to their original mission, while the Brotherhood prepared to withdraw back to the Capital Wasteland.

It was on March 18th, 2288 that I awoke next to my paramour, Piper Wright, in a Diamond City house appropriately called Home Plate. What woke me up was Dogmeat, my German Shepherd dog, licking me on the cheek. I smiled at that. "Good morning, boy," I whispered. He scampered off into the other room. I rose from the bed slowly, so as not to disturb Piper, who was sleeping soundly. Shaking off sleep, I pulled on my Vault 111 jumpsuit, slid on my boots, and strapped on my Pip-Boy. It was the same outfit that I had worn when first emerging from Vault 111. That day, then as now, feels like and eternity ago, although by then it had only been about five months.

The next room over, where Dogmeat was lying down, functioned as my armory. Looking around at the various weapons and armor was like walking down memory lane. There was my trusty 10mm pistol on one rack, a Nuka-Girl suit on another, a harpoon gun from Far Harbor resting in a corner, and the Silver Shoud's Submachine Gun lying on the weapon workbench. The scars and the memories lingered in my mind as I began to tinker with Righteous Authority, my personal laser rifle.

A knock at the front door interrupted me. Annoyed, I went to answer it. A young male Brotherhood Knight, fully outfitted with combat armor and laser rifle, stood outside in the early morning sunshine.

"Sentinel?" asked the Knight as he saluted me by putting his fist over his heart.

I returned the salute. "What is it, Knight?"

"I've been dispatched by Elder Maxson. He has an important mission for you. My orders are to escort you to the _Prydwen_ immediately."

I groaned inside. What could be so important that Maxson would bother me while I was on leave? I only had another few days in the Commonwealth before the Prydwen flew back south, and wished to spend it with my friends. Especially with Piper. "Very well," I replied. Please give me a few minutes to prepare. I'll be right out." I shut the door behind me.

As I returned to the armory and began stripping off my vault suit, Piper appeared in the doorway, nude except for her newsboy cap. "Morning Blue," she said with a seductive smile. "Heading my way?"

I shook my head. "Not right now, love," I said in a flat tone.

Her smile vanished. "What's the matter?"

"The Brotherhood has come knocking. Elder Maxson apparently has a mission for me. One worth pulling me back from leave, apparently."

"Oh. Well that's a bummer."

"Agreed." Tossing my vault suit aside, I pulled on my Brotherhood uniform, then strapped on my combat armor. Piper, who by then recognized how serious I was, helped me secure the pieces. With my armor on, I loaded up my pouches with fusion cells and stuck my 10mm into its holster.

"How long will you be gone?" Piper finally asked.

"I don't know," was my honest answer. "Hopefully I'll be back soon. You know I can never stay away from you." I said that last sentence with a wink.

"Oh I know it, Vault Boy."

I held Piper in tight embrace, running my hands across her bare buttocks and breasts. We kissed passionately. When our lips finally parted, I whispered in her ear. "If I die, publish me a flattering obituary."

Piper giggled at that, for she knew I was teasing. "Go on, Blue. I'll make sure Diamond City doesn't fall to pieces while you're gone."

With that, I gave Piper one more kiss, hefted Righteous Authority, then headed for the door. Dogmeat blocked my path, whining. Immediately I submitted to his want. "Okay boy, let's go see the Elder." He then barked cheerfully and followed me outside.

The Knight, whose name was Harron, led Dogmeat and I out of Diamond City and to a waiting Vertibird. I climbed aboard and took up position behind the Vertibird's port side minigun, which was loaded and ready to fire. Almost as soon as we took off, a bunch of hotheaded Super Mutants began firing at us from a nearby rooftop. I was quick to dispatch them with the minigun. For all their strength, a Super Mutant's muscles won't stop a bullet. The rest of the flight was uneventful. We flew by the Castle on our way towards Boston Airport. The blue flag of the Minuteman flew high over the central courtyard, and the ramparts bristled with turrets and artillery. Shortly after the destruction of the Institute, I promoted my friend Preston Garvey to Colonel, and left him in charge of the Castle.

The imposing steel airship _Prydwen_ loomed over Boston Airport, moored to the old control tower. Immediately after our Vertibird docked with the airship, I reported to Elder Maxson's quarters. Maxson was seated at his desk. Despite the name of his rank, Elder Maxson was a young man, though his bearded face and commanding personality would suggest otherwise. Proctor Quinlan, head of the R&D division, was standing next to the desk. Maxson gestured for me to sit at the chair before his desk as I entered the room, and I did. Dogmeat laid down at my side.

"Sentinel, thank you for coming on such short notice," said Maxson.

"You're welcome, Elder," I lied. "What do you have for me?"

"It's a matter of great urgency. I will let Proctor Quinlan explain."

Quinlan cleared his throat. "Just hours ago, one of our scribe patrols reported back. They were investigating reports of unique technology in the vicinity of South Central Station. They found a train inside an old servicing facility near the station. Not just any train, for that matter, but an armored train, fully outfitted for transporting military personnel and supplies."

That news alone didn't grab my attention. The Brotherhood had happened upon similar trains elsewhere. "What makes this train so special?" was my first question.

"It's the locomotive that we are interested in." It was Maxson who spoke. "It appears to be unique. Scribe Haylen described its power system as being based on that of a steam turbine locomotive, but modified to use a fusion plant to produce heat instead of an oil-burning firebox."

I nodded. "Interesting. I heard rumors of such an engine being developed during my time in the United States Army. Supposedly it was capable of delivering troops and gear faster than any similar locomotive."

"That is exactly why we need you to secure this locomotive for the Brotherhood, Sentinel. Secure that locomotive and it's train for passage to the Capital Wasteland."

"It shall be done, Elder."

"Outstanding. Any questions for either of us?"

"Yes. Do we intend to transport the locomotive by suspending it beneath the _Prydwen_?"

Quinlan shook his head. "Negative, Sentinel. The _Prydwen_ cannot support the weight of her full compliment plus that of the locomotive."

Maxson cut in. "You will need to transport the train by rail."

I believe my jaw dropped at those words. They hit me with the force of a Super Sledge. "Elder, how are we to transport an aging train, across hundreds of miles of unknown territory, on tracks that may or may not be in good repair? It sounds like a suicide mission."

"Don't be too worried, Sentinel. The _Prydwen_ will provide support as best as possible during her voyage south. Our top engineers will get the train in proper condition for a long journey before you depart as well."

That relieved some of my anxiety about the mission, but it still seemed daunting. "I understand, Elder. If there's nothing further, I'll begin prepping a team to secure the train's location."

"Nothing further, Sentinel. Dismissed."

* * *

An hour later, I found myself in my T-60 power armor, boots on the ground in Boston, along with a squad of Brotherhood soldiers and Dogmeat. With me was Knight Rhys, also outfitted in power armor, and carrying a laser sniper rifle; Scribe Haylen, in her usual Brotherhood fatigues and armed with a laser pistol; and finally Paladin Theron, wielding a gatling laser. Theron was one of the few female Paladins in the Brotherhood, and was also a veteran of the Brotherhood's campaign against the Enclave. She had been an Initiate at the time. I had met Rhys and Haylen last year while looking for my son. It was their old squad leader, Paladin Danse, who had sponsored me as an Initiate.

Our insertion point was Atlantic Avenue, just north of South Central Station. The streets, fortunately, were empty. The station proved to be another story. As soon as we walked through the main entrance, a feral ghoul charged us. Knight Rhys delivered a single shot to the ghoul's head, which exploded in a shower of flesh. Gunfire erupted in the station's main concourse. Closer inspection revealed a horde of feral ghouls doing battle with a number of mercenaries in green uniforms.

"Gunners!" I barked. "Get ready for a fight." The Gunners were, and still are, high-end mercenaries active in the Commonwealth. They regularly engaged Brotherhood patrols, for some strange reason. A death wish, perhaps? I leveled Righteous Authority at the nearest ghoul and opened fire. Three shots and the ghoul collapsed. Theron's gatling laser began tearing into the ghouls, ripping them apart. Rhys and Haylen turned their weapons on the Gunners, who were quick to turn their attention away from the ghouls and towards us. One aimed a sniper rifle in my direction, but before he could get off a shot, Dogmeat sprinted up and grabbed him by the arm! Smiling behind my helmet, I put three shots into the gunner, whose body ignited and burned to a pile of ash. Another merc opened up on Theron with a laser pistol. Haylen shot the foolish man dead before he could even dent Theron's armor. The last remaining Gunner - a heavily armored brute who must have been their squad leader, opened fire on Rhys with an automatic plasma rifle. The Knight's armor sizzled with the impacts. Rhys returned the favor by lobbing a plasma grenade in the Gunner's direction. He tried to dodge, but too late. The blast reduced the Gunner Commander to a pile of green goo. With him down, the station appeared secure, until a glowing one charged out of the women's bathroom. Growling, the ghoul made a beeline for Theron, who was too late bringing her gatling laser to bear on the foul creature. The ghoul struck with enough force to stagger her. Rhys and I shot it in the chest several times, but the ghoul didn't even slow down. Dogmeat grabbed the ghoul's right leg, which distracted the ghoul just long enough for Haylen to shoot the creature in the left foot, which amazingly blew clean off. The ghoul fell onto its back, just in time to see Theron's armored boot come down on its head.

* * *

Haylen led us through the trainyard to the servicing facility inside which she and her patrol had found the armored train with its unique locomotive. Having likely been built to military standards, the servicing facility had withstood the tests of time and radiation better than most of the surrounding structures. The building was long, wide, and made mostly of concrete. Two sidings led into the facility, both of which were occupied by armored railroad cars, all painted in olive drab green. Some of the cars were outfitted with gunports, while others were little more than armored boxcars. A pair of massive steel doors stood at one end, ready to admit more cars or locomotives inside. The facility did not have power, making it nearly pitch dark inside. I instructed my squad to stay close as we made our way through the building, just in case something was lurking in the darkness.

At one point, a sentry bot rolled up to us. "Threat analysis: yellow," the bot said in an electronic voice. "Please present identification, or state passphrase."

Lacking identification, I opted for the passphrase. "All aboard," I said sarcastically.

"Passphrase accepted. Welcome, employee. How may I assist you?"

"Turn on the lights." More sarcasm on my part.

The sentry bot rolled off. Less than a minute later, the building was flooded with light. Our power armor headlamps went off immediately.

The light also revealed our objective at the facility's south end: the prototype locomotive. She was a steam engine alright, painted olive drab green, with a 6-8-6 wheel arrangement, a streamlined body, and a large tender suited for long-distance travel. The number 3162 was painted on the sides of the cab, and U.S. Army on the tender. It was immediately apparent why the _Prydwen_ couldn't lift her - the locomotive was enormous, easily one hundred and twenty feet long (not including the tender), and no doubt weighing hundreds of tons. A quick glance at her boiler and running gear revealed that she was intact. Indeed, she looked ready to hit the rails right away.

"Sure is something, isn't it?" Haylen said to no one in particular.

"It sure is, Haylen." I replied. I then turned to my squad. "Alright. Spread out and secure the building. Once that's done, we'll get a radio link to the Prydwen, have Ingram and her grease monkeys give her a once-over. After that we'll fire her up, couple up the cars and then do what no Brotherhood squad has done before."

"What would that be, sir?" Theron asked.

I spotted a conductor's hat on a table near me. I picked it up and put it on top of my helmet. "Go for a train ride!"


	2. Chapter 2: Capital Limited

With the servicing facility secured, Elder Maxson dispatched a team of engineers to get the locomotive and train ready for service. Proctor Ingram was particularly impressed with the locomotive's power system, which was even more advanced than the _Prydwen_ 's. A platoon of soldiers was assigned to guard the facility's perimeter, keeping out both the curious and any potential threats. These same soldiers, Maxson explained, would man the train's weapon systems during the journey south. I placed Paladin Theron in command of the soldiers, and Scribe Haylen in charge of the engineers. Haylen would be our primary locomotive engineer for the trip, with Scribes Cordas and Logan working with her. Because a steam locomotive requires a two-man crew, I assigned three additional Scribes to work as firemen. Their job would be to monitor and adjust the pressure in the locomotive's boiler, while the engineer managed the engine's speed.

The entire train was now made up in the trainyard outside the servicing facility. I walked the length of the train the morning of our departure. First came locomotive 3162 and her tender. 3162 was fired up and ready to go, headlight illuminated, boiler up to pressure, air compressor pumping, generator humming, and tender filled with fresh water.

Behind 3162 were two closed-topped Defense Cars, or DCs. Heavily armored, these cars were outfitted with four miniguns (two on each side), along with a single laser turret on the roof. The lasers were more powerful than standard laser rifles, and effectively functioned as artillery pieces. These guns would be manned around the clock during the journey to protect the train.

Walking from the DCs brought me to the Command and Information Car, or CIC. This car functioned as a mobile command center, outfitted with radars, tracking device monitors, and a radio powerful enough to reach the _Prydwen_ , even if she was hundreds of miles away. This is where I would spend most of our journey, at the hub of our operation.

Next came two barracks cars, packed with bunk beds and footlockers. Our off-duty soldiers and locomotive crews would rest in these cars. The third barracks car was a kitchen car, outfitted with a stove, a sink, and a dishwasher. While not offering the same amount of creature comforts afforded by the _Prydwen_ , the three barracks cars did keep my brothers and sisters in good morale.

The next car in the line was a refrigerator that functioned as our food pantry. Unlike a typical refrigeration car this car had four doors: two sliding doors on the sides, and one at each end, allowing personnel to walk through.

Then came three armored boxcars. The first two boxcars were our mobile arsenal, packed fit to bursting with weapons and spare ammunition. Laser rifles, missile launchers, plasma rifles, miniguns - everything we needed to protect our train. The third boxcar contained four power amor suits, dozens of spare pieces, and hundreds of fusion cores. Defending the arsenal was yet another DC, identical to those near the front of the train.

Finally, at the train's rear, was an armored caboose. The cupola atop the caboose was designed to double as a sniper post if necessary. Here we would station two lookouts at all times, whether the train was in motion or not. That made our train eleven cars long in total.

It was at 10:00 hours on March 31st, 2288 that we received important news over the radio from the _Prydwen_. "Capital Limited, this Lancer Captain Kells. We will be dropping moorings in five minutes." Because our train initially lacked a call sign, I had decided to nickname it after a pre-war express service - the Capital Limited, operated by the New York, New Haven & Boston Railroad. As we journeyed to the Capital Wasteland, the _Prydwen_ and her veritibirds would act as scouts, ensuring that the rails ahead of the train were clear and serviceable.

I immediately radioed back. "Roger that. We are preparing for departure." Over the train's PA system, I said, "All hands, this is your Sentinel, aka your Conductor. All hands to your stations. It's time for a train ride!" At my command, the crew began moving hurriedly to their posts. The locomotive crew brought 3162's boiler up to pressure, the gunners in the defense cars locked and loaded their weapons, and the snipers in the caboose got into the cupola. One by one the cars radioed in to report their readiness. When I heard "All posts manned and ready, sir," I couldn't resist shouting "All aboard!" into the PA.

" _Prydwen_ , this is Capital Limited," I then radioed to Kells. "We are ready for departure."

"Roger that, Capital Limited. We are airborne."

"Understood." I then hung up the long-distance radio and picked up my walkie-talkie. "3162, take us south. We're off!"

With a long blast on the whistle and a hiss of steam, the Captial Limited rolled out of the trainyard.


	3. Chapter 3: Providence

We ran into trouble almost as soon as we left the Commonwealth. The rails leading south took us into the ruins of Providence, which appeared deserted from a distance, until I felt the train slow to a stop. "Conductor to 3162," I said into my walkie-talkie, "what's the trouble?"

"Obstacle ahead, sir," came Haylen's voice through the speaker. "Looks like a pile of debris blocking the tracks."

I groaned. This hadn't been our first delay, but it was the first to involve the rails being obstructed. Curious to see the obstacle myself, I stood up and opened the door to the CIC's southern vestibule. The second I did so, a frag grenade landed on the vestibule just inches from my foot. Shocked, I swung the door shut just in time to avoid being showered by shrapnel. Dogmeat barked loudly at the sound of the blast. "We're under attack!" I roared. "Sound the general alarm!"

The alarm began blaring over the PA just as bullets started pinging off the CIC's armored side. Soldiers unslung their laser rifles and opened up the gunports nearest them to return fire. While all the cars were outfitted with gunports, only those in the DCs actually had mounted weapons. I unholstered my 10mm pistol and opened the gunport nearest me to assess the situation. Four ruined buildings - three wooden structures and one concrete - were less than twenty yards to from our eastern side. Entrenched inside the concrete ruin were half a dozen raiders. It then occurred to me that the railroad tracks must be a popular route for caravans, and the concrete ruin a frequent site of ambushes. No doubt the raiders saw our train as the ultimate prize. One raider, standing on the concrete building's second story, aimed a missile launcher at the nearest DC. The missile left an ashy mark and made a lot of noise, but did no real damage. That same raider made the mistake of exposing herself while reloading. She went down when a laser beam struck her square in the chest.

The raiders were too deeply entrenched for our gunners to get clear shots off at them. Worse, the ground between their position and the train offered no cover. The only option for dispatching the raiders was to get boots on the ground in power armor. "Conductor to Paladin Theron. Get together a squad in power armor and take those raiders out!"

"Roger that!" Minutes later, Theron radioed back. "Shore party is ready for deployment."

"Go get 'em!" I radioed enthusiastically. I watched the firefight from the CIC gunport. Theron and her squad hit the ground running, while the DC gunners provided covering fire with their miniguns. The gunners ceased fire when the soldiers reached the concrete building. Through the gunport, I watched as five raiders were gunned down, all by laser beams. One raider was torn to a bloody mess by Theron's gatling laser. Theron and the squad vanished from view, pushing deeper into the structure. The sounds of gunfire continued for a few minutes longer. "All hostiles terminated," Theron radioed to me when the fighting ceased. "Area secure."

"Roger that, Paladin. Anything unusual over there?"

"Affirmative. These raiders appear to have taken hostages. Want us to set them free?"

I paused for a moment, thinking. There was a risk that these caravaners would spread word of our train's passage. If they spoke of us to outsiders, that could potentially compromise our mission. "Hold a moment, Theron. Let me speak to them myself." I closed the gunport, stood up, waved Dogmet over, and exited the train. Together we crossed the open ground and joined Theron's squad inside the building. All four squad members including Theron were in good shape - just a few scratches left by bullets on their armor. Looking around, I counted the corpses of a dozen raiders. I thought to myself that this gang must have been very successful to attract so many members. Paladin Theron showed me to the hostages. Clustered together on their knees, on the structure's ground floor, were four caravaners, one raider, and two caravan guards. When one of the guards and I made eye contact, I recognized him immediately. His green military cap and tanned duster gave him away.

"Robert MacCready," I said, surprised to see him. "What are you doing out here?"

"Hey boss," MacCready replied, "it's good to see you too." He stood up. "I'm on my way back home. Joined up with this caravan because they were heading south." He gestured at the corpses. "These raiders ambushed us just outside this building. They killed most of the other caravaners. In fact their leader was getting ready to execute us when you came rolling up."

"I should've pulled the damn trigger," mumbled the raider, just loud enough for me to hear. He was a sturdy fellow with muscled arms, a dirty face, wild hair, and wearing improvised armor made from scrap metal. His hands were behind his back. I drew my pistol and aimed it at the raider's forehead. Dogmeat, at my side, growled at him.

"Hands on your head." I said to him sternly.

"Alright tough guy," he said with a mocking chuckle, "you and your friends got me." He obeyed my demand, carefully placing his hands atop his head.

"Your raiding days are done, pal. You have five seconds to reach the exit. After that, I never want to see your ugly face again. Understood?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll be a good boy."

"GO!" I barked.

The raider took off running. On his way out, he picked up a pipe rifle from a dead raider's body. It was a fatal mistake. Arming himself made the raider boss a threat to my soldiers, so I put three shots into his back. He collapsed to the ground at a run, lifeless.

I then shifted my attention to the caravaners. By now, they had found the courage to stand up. "Listen carefully, people. You may have noticed the machine that my squad and I arrived in. That's called a train. You are not to breathe a word of it to anyone. If anyone asks what happened, just say that you were ambushed and the Brotherhood of Steel rescued. Is that clear?"

All four of them nodded.

"Good. You may go."

The caravaners began to file out while the squad eyed them carefully. MacCready picked up a sniper rifle from a dead raider's corpse. "Bitch took my rifle and claimed it as her own," he said, looking at me and indicating the dead raider. "I guess that was her last mistake."

I nodded. "Indeed. Before you depart, MacCready, I have an offer for you."

"Oh?" He slung the rifle over his shoulder and walked up to me. "What's that?"

"I imagine you're heading to the Capital Wasteland. That's where our train is bound. I can offer passage aboard only to Brotherhood of Steel personnel. If you're to travel with us, you must join the Brotherhood. What do you say?"

MacCready paused for a moment, pondering. "I don't know, boss. If I join up with you, then I can't take any more contracts as a merc."

"Think about this: two months ago, you told me about your promise to your son - to become a better person. The Brotherhood accepts people of strong moral character. You're an honest man, Robert, and a sharpshooter. You would fit right in."

MacCready sighed. "Alright, boss. I'm in."

"Outstanding. I hereby grant you the rank of Initiate." I saluted him, then turned to the squad. "Brothers and sisters, meet Robert Joseph MacCready, our newest Initiate!"

The squad saluted MacCready. "Ad Victorium!" Theron said with pride.

"Ad Vicwhat?" MacCready asked, confused.

"It means "To Victory," in Latin," I told him. "Alright troops, let's return to our train. Theron, when we get back aboard, organize a team to clear the rubble blocking the rails. We need to get this train moving again."


	4. Chapter 4: Saybrook

Departing from Providence brought us further south. it was in the Saybrook region, at the mouth of the Connecticut River, that we ran into more trouble. The weather took a turn for the worse. A nasty squall blew up from the southwest, forcing our train to slow down to a crawl. The _Prydwen_ traveled northwest, further inland, to avoid the squall - which could potentially cause her to crash. Unfortunately, that maneuver put us out of radio contact, leaving us on our own.

After sunset, in the middle of the squall, a radio message came through my walkie-talkie. "3162 calling Conductor, we have a situation with the engine."

I was in the kitchen car eating a plate of salisbury steak when I received that call. I swallowed what was in my mouth, then replied with, "What's the matter, Scribe?"

"The tender is low on water, sir. We need to refill now or we can't proceed."

I remembered that we were nearing the Connecticut River's eastern bank. If we reached the river, then we could run a hose down from the tender and pump water in. "Roger that. Bring her to a stop when you see the bridge ahead. I'll come up and join you once we've stopped."

"Yes sir. 3162 out."

We stopped about twenty minutes later. By then, I had made my way through the train up to the lead car, stopping to grab Righteous Authority from my footlocker. I stepped off the train and out into the pouring rain. My boots crunched in the soaked gravel around the tracks. The wind, just shy of gale force, blew at my front, stinging my eyes with rain. I turned on my pip-boy light to illuminate the way ahead. With some effort, I made it up to 3162's cab. Scribes Cordas and Jenson were there waiting for me. "What's the situation, gents?" I asked. "Are we in danger of a boiler explosion?"

"Affirmative, sir." It was Scribe Jenson, the fireman, who spoke. "Water level in the tender is below fifteen percent. The same holds true for the boiler."

"We followed your orders, sir," Scribe Cordas added. "The Connecticut is about ten yards ahead of us. We can uncouple from the train to refill, or bring the whole train onto the bridge."

Putting the whole train on the bridge was absolutely out of the question. Doing so would put it in a highly exposed position, in bad weather, and in poor visibility. There was no telling what kinds of threats might be using the darkness and foul weather as a shroud. "We'll uncouple. Safer that way. Let's go now."

"Yes sir," The Scribes said together.

I climbed down from the cab and back onto the gravel ballast, walking back towards the tender. With a lift of the cutting lever, and a signal from me to move ahead, 3162 parted company with her train and rolled onto the bridge. The water, just fifteen feet below, was black as the sky overhead. I climbed up the tender and prepared to lower the hose when the bridge suddenly shook violently, nearly knocking me off the tender.

"What the hell was that?!" I hear Scribe Cordas exclaim. I was ready to ask the same question, which was answered by a familiar - and terrifying - roar. I had last heard that roar when doing the Captain's Dance outside Far Harbor, and before that, when reclaiming the Castle for the Minutemen. To this day it still gives me nightmares.

"Mirelurk _queen_!" I screamed, unslinging Righteous Authority. Toward the locomotive, I yelled "Get us off the bridge NOW! All hands to battle stations." I exclaimed those last words into my walkie-talkie. The situation was absolutely frightening. There I was in an extremely open position, atop a centuries-old bridge, being attacked by one of the most dangerous creatures in the Wasteland. Nonetheless I leveled Righteous at the queen and let off a few shots. After what felt like minutes, the locomotive jerked into motion, rolling back towards the eastern bank. We moved just as the mirelurk queen began spraying acid at the bridge. It was only sheer luck that none of her acid hit the locomotive. I continued firing as we rolled off the bridge. I must have gone through three fusion cells from all that shooting - I never did stop and check my ammunition.

We managed to get 3162 safely off the bridge and couple her back up to the train. In my absence, Paladin Theron had taken command, and saw to it that everyone was at their stations. I joined her in the CIC, soaked to the bone and out of ammunition.

"Here's the situation, Theron. A mirelurk queen is near the bridge up ahead. We need to get the train across before she makes it unusable. When we cross I want as much fire poured onto her as possible."

"You've got it, sir!" Theron said with a salute. She then began barking orders over the PA.

I picked up my walkie-talkie. "Conductor to 3162. Get us across that bridge as quickly as you can!" A blast from the whistle signaled their acknowledgement. The train lurched forward, gathering speed with each turn of the wheels. I took up position at a gunport on the train's north side, seeking our target. We rolled onto the bridge. A flash of lightning revealed the mirelurk queen's position just ten feet from the bridge. The entire train opened fire on her, bullets and laser beams tearing through her flesh and ricocheting off her armored carapace. The queen swayed and roared, yet stayed on her legs. She sprayed acid onto the bridge's side, which mercifully continued to hold, despite groaning and sagging under the train's weight. I didn't see it myself, but later learned that one of the sharpshooters in the caboose targeted the mirelurk queen with a missile launcher, hitting her square in the face. After that, the queen finally went down. I also later discovered that a mirelurk king - perhaps coming to his queen's defense - had charged across the bridge, only to end up under 3162's wheels.

The train began squealing to a stop once we cleared the bridge. I found that puzzling, because I hadn't ordered a stop. "What's going on, 3162?" I radioed.

Scribe Cordas responded. "Red light on the side of the tracks, sir."

Cordas was correct in obeying a red light. Scribe Haylen had trained all of the engine crews in lineside signals, in case any were still active. An indication to stop from before the war might mean trouble ahead. We did not expect to find any actually working, however.

When the train stopped, MacCready, Dogmeat and I went on the ground to find out what was making the red light. The rain had slacked off by then. Instead of a functioning trackside signal, the red light was coming from a lantern, held by a wastelander. He was middle-aged, with weathered skin, and wore a heavy rain jacket like a sailor. A hunting rifle was slung over his shoulder.

"You there," I barked as he approached, "identify yourself."

The man halted and put his lantern on the ground. "My name is John," he said calmly. "I lead the Saybrook colony. And you may have just saved all of our lives."


	5. Chapter 5: Essex

The foul weather finally cleared up the following morning. During the night, the engine crew refilled the tender with water from the river, while Paladin Theron and her squad secured the old Saybrook Railroad Station. Once the station was secure, I ordered the train to move there. The station's elevated platform would make it easier for us to resupply the train. It was on the station's platform that Dogmeat and I again met John. He was clad in the same hunter outfit as the night before, and carrying the same rifle, but lacked the red lantern. He was also more cheerful, no doubt grateful for the mirelurk queen's death. A young man wearing improvised armor and carrying a revolver accompanied him. Dogmeat eyed up the younger man, but didn't growl.

"Good morning sir," He greeted me with a soft smile. He extended an open hand, which I shook.

"Good morning, John," I said after releasing his hand. "What brings you and your companion out here?"

John gestured to his companion. "This is my son, Keith. First of all, on behalf of the Saybrook Colony, we thank you for slaying the mirelurk queen. She had been skulking in the river for days until you arrived. Had the town all frightened. Second, you helped us once, and we are wondering if you might be willing to help us again."

I crossed my arms. "I'm listening."

A large group of mercenaries is holed up in Essex, the town just north of us. They've been hounding us for weeks, demanding supplies, caps... whatever we can offer. In exchange, they won't attack Saybrook. Now, we don't have much left to give. We would like your assistance in dealing with them."

"Do you want them dead?"

"Dead, or convinced not to bother us. Either outcome works."

I nodded. "The Brotherhood will assist you in this matter. However, you must understand that we are an army, not a charity."

"I do understand," John continued. "What do you want in return?"

"We are primarily interested in rare technology, particularly weapons and armor. We'll also take any supplies you're willing to offer - food, fresh water, medicine, etc."

John was quiet for a moment. "Alas, we have little that would interest you. Our weapons are basic and our supplies have mostly been given to the mercenaries, as I mentioned. What I can offer you immediately... is information."

"Please explain," I requested, trying not to make my words sound like an order.

"There's a RobCo warehouse in the town of East Haven. Chances are good you will find some valuable salvage in there. Show me your pip-boy and I'll mark it's location for you."

As instructed, I showed John my pip-boy's map, and he marked the approximate location of the RobCo warehouse. "Thank you, John. Now, please wait while I get together a squad. We'll head out shortly." Leaving John and his companion, I turned and walked back aboard the train, with Dogmeat trailing behind me.

* * *

Our squad set out from Saybrook Railroad Station about fifteen minutes later. Accompanying me was Knight Rhys, Knight-Commander Jenson, Initiate Boc, and Initiate MacCready, along with John and his son Keith. Rhys was armed with an automatic laser rifle, Jenson and Boc with semi-auto laser rifles, MacCready with his sniper rifle, and I with Righteous Authority. All of us wore full suits of Brotherhood combat armor, per my orders. I decided to keep the suits of power armor in reserve for only the most critical of assignments.

We followed the old railroad tracks north from the station, which led us through a heavily wooded area. Forests, as you may know, are ideal for ambushes, so our guard was up for the whole passage. We passed a few abandoned railroad cars on sidings, but not much else of interest. At one point, a yao-guai charged us from behind a tree, but suddenly tripped and roared in pain. It struggled on the ground for a moment before Keith shot it twice in the head with his revolver.

"What was that all about?" I asked.

"The beast got caught in one of my snares," said Keith. "We'll come back for the carcass later."

I nodded and motioned for the squad to continue.

The tracks led us to the ruins of the Essex railroad yard. The yard consisted of a small station building, a large freight house, several sidings, and a locomotive servicing facility. Eight coaches and a rusted locomotive still sat on the main line at the platform, as though awaiting passengers still. About ten freight cars were strewn about the yard as well, all of them still on the rails. Other than a few wandering feral ghouls, the site was empty. I made sure to mark the yard on my pip-boy map. Some of the railroading equipment might be of use to us later.

John led us east, out of the rail yard, and toward the town's main street. A ramshackle wall made from metal and wood scraps loomed ahead of us as we neared the town's center. The wall crossed the main road, as well as plugging the gaps between several buildings, effectively making the town center a fortress. A guard post flanked the main gate, which faced west. The guard in the tower eyed us as we approached, but didn't raise his rifle. He called out to us instead.

"Well hello John," the guard hailed. "Brought us some tribute, have you?"

"Not this time, Rick," John shouted back. "Get your boss. My new friends and I have a deal for you."

To my surprise, the merc named Rick left the guard tower, and returned a short time later with the mercenary leader. He was an imposing fellow, with a sharp black mustache, khaki uniform, and a full set of heavy combat armor. He carried an assault rifle, complete with drum magazine and reflex sight. His military appearance immediately reminded me of the Gunners.

"Hi John," The merc leader said in a commanding voice. "Who are your friends?"

I took a step forward. "I'm Sentinel Nate of the Brotherhood of Steel. John tells me that you and your troops have been harassing Saybrook colony, bullying them for supplies. That ends today."

"Ha! Is that so? I've got twenty men back here. You'll find we're not so easily intimidated."

"Not willing to end this peacefully, are you sir?"

"No!" The merc leader raised his assault rifle and opened fire.

"Cover!" I barked. The squad split in tow, with MacCready, Keith and I diving behind an old trailer to the south, while Boc, Jenson, Rhys and John took cover behind a crumbling house to the north. The main gate swung open outward, and an assaultron robot came charging out of it, making for the road's north side. Initiate Boc and Knight-Commander Jenson opened fire on the robot, which then made a beeline for them. Bits of the robot's armor flew off, but the assaultron closed the distance, and ripped Boc's throat open with it's claws. Two laser shots from Jenson to the robot's head finished it off. Jenson let out an audible cry of grief as she took cover and reloaded. I sympathized with her. She had been Boc's sponser when he joined the Brotherhood. Boc was also the first casualty of our mission to deliver the train. I never did like soldiers dying under my command. With Boc dead, we now had a fallen Brother to avenge.

I tapped MacCready on the shoulder. His gaze met mine. "I need you to take out the merc leader," I shouted to him over the gunfire. "I'll give you covering fire, now go!"

I leaned out and opened fire in the merc leader's direction. MacCready, over my head, took a single shot. I saw the merc leader's face explode into a mess of gore. His body fell forward and tumbled to the ground in front of the wall. I like to think that MacCready's bullet was the last thing he never saw.

"Get inside the gate!" I roared across the street. Everyone charged out of cover and down the road. Two more mercs appeared atop the wall, but were quickly dispatched by John and Rhys. We stormed through the gate, and were met with a storm of bullets, forcing us to take cover behind makeshift defenses that the mercs had set up. One merc fired on us from atop the east wall. MacCready took him out with a headshot. Most of the fire was coming from an old inn on the road's south side, where the mercs were holed up. They fired from the doorways, windows, and holes in the walls, pinning us down. I saw Rhys and Jenson lob a pair of plasma grenades towards the inn's main entrance. One landed on the porch, while the other rolled into the inn's foyer. When the grenades detonated, Rhys, Jenson and I jumped out of cover and sprinted towards the inn. MacCready, John and Keith covered our advance with sniper fire. I heard bullets whistle past my head as I ran. Mercifully, they all missed.

I lead the way into the inn, making a quick sweep of the foyer. The bodies of three mercs lay on the floor, all with plasma burns. The grenades had taken them down. Another merc peeked from around a corner, shotgun leveled and ready. A single shot from my laser rifle ended his life.

"Get upstairs!" I barked, leading the way up the main staircase. Three more mercs fired on us as we made our way up. I dispatched one, while Jenson and Rhys took out the other two. We cleared the upstairs rooms one by one. Four mercs remained, but they didn't last long against trained Brotherhood soldiers. The last merc died in a blaze of laser fire.

We rejoined John, Keith, and MacCready in the road after clearing the inn. "What's your status?" I asked. "Any of you hurt?"

"Negative boss," MacCready replied. "How many mercs did we take down?"

"Fewer than twenty," John said. "Their now-deceased leader was bluffing."

"Roger that," I said with a nod. "So none will come running back here, John?"

"No sir. These mercs are part of a larger band called Whiskey Company, based far to the west. I doubt they'll return here."

"Alright. Let's get back to the train."


	6. Chapter 6: New Haven

There was a celebration in Saybrook colony that night. The settlers feasted on meat harvested from the dead mirelurk queen. On the train, however, things were much more somber, as we laid Initiate Boc to rest beside the railroad. Before we headed out, John and Keith arrived at the station leading a pack brahmin laden with mirelurk meat. "For your journey," John had said as he shook my hand. With that, I bid him farewell, climbed aboard the CIC, and radioed 3162 to take us west. We were off with a hiss of steam and a blast of the whistle.

Early the next morning, just before sunrise, we made contact with the _Prydwen_ again. She was traveling due south, making for the coast. I debriefed Elder Maxson on our skirmishes in both Providence and Essex, along with our encounter with a mirelurk queen in the Connecticut River. I also informed him of the Saybrook colony and the assistance that they offered. Elder Maxson informed me that the _Prydwen_ had detected energy readings beneath the city of New Haven during their voyage south. We agreed to rendevzous with the _Prydwen_ at New Haven's Union Station.

Before continuing on to Union Station, I ordered the train stopped in East Haven, so that a recon team could investigate the Robco warehouse that John had informed us of. As luck would have it, a railroad siding led from the main line to the warehouse site. On the siding was a boxcar, and inside the (heavily locked) boxcar were three Protectrons in charging pods, all outfitted for construction. A label on the side of the car read 'track gang.' Deciding they might come in handy, I ordered the boxcar coupled to the end of our train. Moving the old car proved a challenge. Exposure to the elements had caused the boxcar's trucks to rust, and the wheels to jam in position. It took several applications of grease and a bit of force for the wheels to turn freely again. Fortunately, the car's airbrakes were still functional, allowing it to connect with our train's air system.

A bridge across the Quinnipiac River led to tracks curving south, which took us into Union Station. Ten of the station's twelve platforms were occupied by derelict passenger trains. Some had their doors open, waiting to board passengers that would never arrive. Some track switching by Scribe Haylen's engine crew guided us onto Track 12, the platform furthest from the station. When the train came to a stop, I went groundside with Jenson, MacCready, and Rhys. Theron remained in charge of the train in my absence. Because we were on a critical mission, all four of us donned T-60 power armor. I wore my personal set of T-60d armor, which had previously belonged to Paladin Danse.

Navigating the station proved a bit of a challenge. The underground concourse had collapsed, forcing us to traverse the platforms up on the surface. More often than not, this involved walking around the platforms at ground level, or navigating through the abandoned passenger cars. We walked past a number of skeletons wearing ragged, pre-war clothing. No doubt they had been passengers when the bombs suddenly fell, cutting their trip short. One skeleton, at the south end of a platform, still had a rusted camera in its right hand. The locomotive on an adjacent track was a steam engine, similar to 3162. We had stumbled upon the remains of a train lover.

We entered the station's main concourse from the north entrance, near the parking garage.

"That sound, what is it?" said a gruff voice after the door swung open. I recognized the voice immediately as that of a super mutant. I then poked my head around through the doorway, looking left, and then spotted the mutant. He was a typical mutant, with greenish skin, a heavily muscled body, and wearing scraps of metal and fabric as improvised armor. He carried a short pipe rifle as his primary weapon. Standing only a few yards away, the mutant was turning to face the open door. When our eyes met, his face turned menacing and he began to raise his weapon. I drew my knife, charged the mutant, and slit open his throat, all within the space of a few heartbeats. The mutant collapsed, choking and bleeding, while the squad and I made our way inside. I motioned the squad to fan out, and be ready for trouble.

We didn't have to wait long before trouble found us again. As we entered the main concourse, the howl of a mutant hound echoed off the crumbling walls. Said hound then charged out from around a corner, making for MacCready, who fired a single shot from his sniper rifle into the creature's head. A missile screamed across the concourse and slammed into a wall, missing Jenson by mere feet.

"Cover!" I barked and sent a few shots in the direction that the rocket had launched from. Rhys and I took cover behind a pile of destroyed benches, Jenson ducked inside of the security office, and MacCready took up position in the remains of a gift shop. I peaked out from around cover and spotted half a dozen mutants on the upper walkway on the station's south end, one of which was reloading a missile launcher. Below them on the left was a doorway, visible through which was a staircase leading up. I had no doubt that the staircase led up to the walkway. A sudden burst of fire forced me back behind cover.

I called the squad through our helmet-mounted radios. "I see a way to flank these muties. Cover me while I advance."

"Roger that," They radioed back in unison.

I hefted Righteous Authority and dove out from my cover spot. The mutants and the squad both opened fire the instant that I did so. Bullets whistled past me and riocheted off my armor as I ran, peppering the marble floor with holes, while laser beams shot through the air towards the mutants. Briefly peeking at the mutants, I saw the one carrying the missile launcher fall. His head was missing. I grinned behind my helmet's visor and blindly fired three shots at the enemy, not checking to see if any of them fell.

Upon reaching the far doorway, I paused to reload my weapon, then carefully made my way up the stairs. Sure enough, they led me to the upper walkway's west end, directly across from the enemy's position. By now only two of the original six mutants were still standing. One of them turned to face me. I leveled my weapon and fired five shots into him. His body disintegrated into a pile of ash. The second mutant didn't even noticed me, but he probably did notice when I fired six shots into his right side.

"All hostiles terminated," I radioed to the squad while reloading. "What's your status, brothers and sister?"

"I'm good," said MacCready. "Got four more kills today."

"Knight Rhys, fit for duty."

"Knight-Commander Jenson reports no d- wait! More mutants! Coming in from the street."

"Ready up, soldiers!"

Five super mutants charged through the station's northwest entrance, guns blazing. Seven more followed behind them, along with six mutant hounds. Most of them were quickly finished off by the squad and I. For all their strength and determination, super mutants lack tactical knowledge, making them easy to outsmart on the battlefield. The mutants found themselves outflanked and outmatched by trained Brotherhood soldiers and, shortly afterward, ended up dead. In the middle of the firefight, a massive mutant wielding a fire hydrant as a club burst through the southwest entrance. The behemoth was so tall and strong that he forced his way through the doorframe, creating both a much wider entrance and a cloud of dust.

"Oh hell," I thought to myself when the behemoth showed up, "now we're in trouble." I knew that if the behemoth lived, the squad died. Behemoths are capable of crumpling power armor as though it were made of tin. Then I remembered the missile launcher. I looked around for it, and spotted the darned thing on the floor, within arm's reach. I picked it up, made sure it was loaded, then shouldered it, aiming straight at the massive mutant. When he paused, I fired. The missile hit the mutant square in the back, right between his shoulder blades. He let out a roar of pain, then fell heavily to the ground, dying. Shortly after the behemoth died, so did the remaining super mutants, felled by fire from the squad.

"Okay," came MacCready's voice through the radio, " _now_ all hostiles are terminated."

"What's your kill count, Initiate?" Jenson asked jokingly.

"It doesn't matter," said Rhys in a serious tone. "focus on the mission."

I heard the humming of propellers overhead. Looking up and out through the broken windows, I noticed the _Prydwen_ hovering over the train platforms. "Squad, secure the perimeter," I ordered. "Make sure we're finally alone here. Then clear a landing zone in the street." I changed frequency over to the primay communication channel. "Conductor calling the _Prydwen._ "

" _Prydwen_ answering." It was Lancer-Captain Kells. "Go ahead, Conductor."

"Train station is secure for rendezvous."

"Roger that, Conductor. Elder Maxson's vertibird is inbound."

"Roger, _Prydwen_. Standing by."


	7. Chapter 7: The Yale Vault

It was only a few minutes before a vertibird was hovering over the road outside the station. Dust billowed out in all directions as the aircraft's propellers neared the ground. When the vertibird touched down, Elder Maxson jumped down. He was wearing his usual battlecoat and carrying a laser pistol in his right hand. The Elder and I met inside the station building, with the squad in formation behind me. We greeted him with a salute, which he returned.

"Good morning, Elder," I said through my helmet's speaker. "I trust you are well?"

"Yes Sentinel," Maxson replied, "Thank you. Outstanding job securing the station. Now, on to the mission." Maxson holstered his pistol and removed a map from one of his pockets and unfolded it. He put his back to me, allowing me to view the map over his shoulder. I noticed that one building had a red "x" over it. I marked the location on my own map, just in case. "The _Prydwen_ 's systems detected energy readings coming from beneath the marked structure. Our records indicate that the structure was the main administration building for a pre-war institute of learning, Yale College."

"Are these readings similar to those emitted by the Institute?" I asked.

"Negative," said Maxson, shaking his head. "The readings are actually most similar to those emitted by a nuclear reactor. It stands to reason that some kind of underground facility is still active beneath the city. Therefore, I'm ordering you and your squad to investigate this facility. See who is occupying it, and why. If they are hostile, terminate them. Otherwise, report back to me aboard the _Prydwen_ with your findings." Maxson folded the map, turned around, and saluted us. "Ad Victorium!"

"Ad Victorium!" The squad and I exclaimed together.

Maxson then departed the station and boarded his vertibird, manning the aircraft's mounted minigun as it took off.

When the vertibird took flight, I turned and faced my squad. "Alright, we have our orders. Let's return to the train and resupply. Then we'll see what lies below Yale College."

* * *

We headed out again about an hour later, fully rearmed and rationed. Dogmeat joined us this time. He functioned as a scout, the smart pup, sniffing out obstacles and hostiles ahead of us. Dogmeat had saved my life a number of times during our adventures in the Commonwealth, and I had no doubt he would prove invaluable on our expedition to the Capital Wasteland.

The journey through New Haven led us past numerous decayed buildings. Many were boarded up, while some showed signs of recent occupation, with the occasional smoldering fire or makeshift defenses. One structure was surrounded by bent rebars and piles of gore, suggesting that super mutants had once called it home. We passed the ruins of a community college. One of the structure's walls had collapsed into the street, filling it with debris. Amongst the rubble were ruined desks, dried out pens, and at least one cracked blackboard. Further east was an abandoned Nuka Cola-themed restaurant. That structure made me think of Nuka-World. I wondered how the place had fared since I had decided to wipe out the three raider gangs that used to lord over the parks. Had Porter Gage survived the fighting? Perhaps I would see him again one day, and preferably not in my weapon's crosshairs.

The route to Yale College brought us to the New Haven Green, an open field in the center of town similar to the Boston Common. A sign near the Green's south end - no doubt put up by concerned traders - warned of an unspecified danger ahead. Airing on the side of caution, I led my squad around the Green, hugging its edge instead of taking a direct route across. Surprisingly, we did not encounter any hostiles.

We entered the Yale College administration main lobby late in the afternoon. Immediately we noticed that the lobby floor had been excavated, directly down into the basement. A ramp made from a pile of debris and topsoil led down below the building. I turned on my headlamp, readied my laser rifle, and carefully descended the ramp, with Dogmeat and the squad following behind. The basement was ordinary - dark, filled with shelves, boxes and tools - except for a lone door at the far end. I ordered Jenson to open the door, which she did carefully. Behind the door was a catwalk leading into a wide chamber dug out of the earth. I led the squad into the chamber, ready for anything. Opposite the catwalk... was a vault door. Unmistakable.

"So _this_ is what the _Prydwen_ 's sensors detected." I said aloud.

Dogmeat barked in agreement.

"What might be on the other side?" Rhys asked of me.

"I don't know, Knight. Your guess is as good as mine." I noticed a console on the catwalk, identical to those used by Vault-Tec to control the doors of their vaults. "Stand by, Brothers and Sister. I'm going to open this door." I prepared to plug my suit's interface into the console, but before I could do so, a woman's voice came through the intercom.

"Hold it right there!" the voice barked. "You four don't look like raiders. Who are you?"

I pushed the intercom button on the console. "You have a visual on us? We're soldiers of the Brotherhood of Steel."

"The Brotherhood of Steel? Never heard of you." A pause. "Oh, hello Dean. What is it?"

"Let me talk to these soldiers, Eliza." It was an elderly man's voice.

"Yes sir. I'll stand by."

"Thank you, dear. Now, soldiers, we have heard of your order. Thought you were active in the Capital Wasteland."

"That's correct sir," I responded, "but we have been venturing northward for some time now."

"I see. We are going to allow you inside. Please meet me in the entrance hall." The intercom cut out.

An alarm began to blare, and yellow lights flashed around the door. The heavy vault door then slid back and rolled open with a labored effort. Opening the door revealed a pristine entrance hall, unmistakably built by Vault-Tec. I directed the squad to follow me inside, weapons lowered. Waiting for us outside the security office was an elderly man wearing a suit and eyeglasses. Just inside the office, visible through a window, was a young woman outfitted with Vault-Tec security armor. A loaded 10mm pistol lay on the desk in front of her.

The old man carefully approached us as we entered the vault, stopping just a few feet away from us. "Greetings soldiers," he said welcomingly. "I am Ernest Gerard, Dean of the Yale Vault. Which of you is in charge?"

I slung Righteous Authority and removed my helmet. "I am, Dean. My name is Nate. I hold the rank of Sentinel within the Brotherhood of Steel. We appreciate the warm reception, although I must ask... how did you learn about our order?"

"We learned about you from traders who venture down there from time to time. One of those traders is my own daughter, in fact. What brings the Brotherhood to New Haven?"

"We were investigating energy readings coming from underground. Your vault is the source."

"I see. Well, would you like a tour of our vault?"

Dogmeat barked.

I nodded. "Yes, please. Lead the way."

The Dean smiled and motioned for us to follow him, which we did. The Dean led us through a narrow hallway and onto the upper catwalk of a broad atrium bustling with activity. The architecture was typical Vault-Tec construction, with painted steel walls, exposed piping, and sliding doors. What separated this vault was the diversity of people milling about on the floor below. Humans and Ghouls of all shapes and sizes walked across the atrium, some carrying books, others holding tools, and some with empty hands. The clothing worn by the vault dwellers ranged from wasteland rags to suits and dresses to suits of armor. It was as though the residents of Diamond City and Goodneighbor had all moved into a vault together.

Dean Gerard turned on his heals to face us. "The Yale Vault was built by Yale College, in partnership with Vault-Tec. The mission behind the Vault was to create a fully functioning university, so that in the event of a nuclear war, education could help rebuild the nation. That mission continues to this day. We are a college, educating the people of the wastes in exchange for their services."

"Services?" I asked. "What do you mean?"

"While attending the college, students perform a variety of tasks depending on their field of study. Engineering students work as mechanics, agriculture majors as farmers, prospective caravan guards as security officers, the list goes on. Our full time staff is limited largely to professioners and senior officials, such as the Chief Mechanical Officer, the Chief of Security, and I, the Dean."

"Quite impressive, Dean Gerard." I was genuinely impressed. The only other functioning vault I had encountered - Vault 81 - had been isolationist. This vault seemed to allow almost anyone in, provided they had good intentions.

"Thank you," said the Dean with a smile. "Please, let us continue."

We descended a staircase onto the atrium's lower floor. Students and staff alike eyed us with a degree of caution as passed. No doubt they weren't used to seeing such heavily armed and armored people inside their vault. For many, this was also their first encounter with soldiers from the Brotherhood of Steel. I kept my eyes on the Dean's back, ignoring the stares. I can only hope that the squad followed my example.

The Dean led us past classrooms filled with students, through dormitories belonging to students and staff, and past the reactor room, describing each site as we came near. He paused in front of a door, above which was a sign that read 'Library.'

"Through here," the Dean said, "Is the crown jewel of our university."

The door opened to reveal a spacious, opulent library. Oak paneling lined the walls and door frames. Chandeliers were suspended from the ceiling. Thousands of neatly cataloged books sat upon hundreds of shelves made from varnished mahogany. Students studied quietly at desks, or browsed amongst the shelves, while a librarian minded a circular desk by the main entrance. Indeed, the whole room felt as though it had been transported from the pre-war Yale college.

My jaw dropped open at the sight. "It's magnificent," I said aloud.

"Agreed, sir," Jenson said with a nod.

Dogmeat didn't make sound.

"Please keep your voices down," the Dean said softly. "This is a library, a place of quiet study."

Just then, an alarm began blaring. "That's the intrusion alarm," Dean Gerard shouted over the noise. "Hostiles are trying to enter the vault. Sentinel, will you and your squad please help us defend ourselves?"

"Yes, we will," I shouted back. I put my helmet back on and unslung Righteous Authority. "Back to the entrance, people! Double time!"

We charged off opposite the direction in which Gerard had led us, winding our way through dorms and past classrooms and through the atrium until we arrived at the vault's entryway. The door was sealed. A squad of security guards were in the entryway, weapons drawn and aimed at the door. Among them was Eliza.

"What's the situation?" I asked her.

"Super mutants on the other side, sir. They've taken out our exterior defenses. Now they're trying to force their way inside."

"Looks like our only option is to take them out from here. Have your people open the door. We'll take the mutants out."

Eliza didn't move.

" _Now_ , officer!"

"Okay!" She turned to her fellow officers. "Prepare to open the door on my signal."

I ordered the squad to form a line in front of the door. The vault security guards flanked them on both sides. I took the center, with Dogmeat behind me.

"In three, two, one... open the door!"

The mechanism engaged and rolled the door open. We were met immediately by a hail of bullets and laser beams. Sure enough, half a dozen super mutants occupied the chamber the other side. I heard bullets whistle past as I raised my weapon. A security officer went down, felled by a lucky headshot.

"Open fire!" I roared.

Everyone began shooting all at once. I heard the reports from the guards' 10mm pistols, saw the laser beams from Rhys' and Jenson's laser rifles, and watched as the super mutants stubbornly held their ground. It was all over in less than a minute. All six mutants fell. One had his right arm blown clean off.

"Secure the area and check the corpses," I said while reloading. "Make sure there's no more of them." The squad broke formation to carry out my orders. Dogmeat ran up to the nearest mutant corpse, sniffed at its head, then barked for my attention. Curious, I slung my weapon and walked over to see what he had found. Dogmeat pointed to the mutant's head with his muzzle. I grabbed the head, which was barely attached to the body.

"In here, boy?" I asked.

Dogmeat barked.

"If you say so." I pressed my fingers into the dead mutant's eye sockets and ripped the skull in half. The brain tumbled out and landed on my left boot. I noticed something metallic protruding from the back of the brain. Immediately I knelt down and picked it up. Clearly it was some kind of cybernetic implant. The device reminded me of a similar implant worn by Conrad Kellogg, an agent of the Institute. I stuffed the implant into one of my ammo pouches.

"Good find, Dogmeat."

He gave me an approving look.

Knight-Commander Jenson came up to me. "No sign of the enemy, sir."

"Outstanding. Now let's get back to the train. Best to be off the streets before sunset."

"Wait!" Eliza walked hurriedly up to us. "I just want to thank you for your help today. The Brotherhood is welcome in the Yale Vault anytime."

"Thank you, Eliza," I said sincerely. "Now I'm afraid we really must leave."

Eliza nodded, turned, and walked back inside the vault. The door rolled closed behind her.

I shifted my focus back to the squad. "Alright soldiers, form up!" I barked as I unslung Righteous Authority. "It's time to go home."


	8. Chapter 8: Debrief

I reported to Elder Maxson aboard the _Prydwen_ that same evening. The airship was moored to one of the city's old office buildings, situated near the train station. Theron, Haylen, and the rest of the train crew encountered no additional hostiles following the skirmish inside the station building. With the _Prydwen_ overhead, the crew of the Capital Limited had a rare opportunity to relax. They could not let their guard down completely, however; we were still in hostile territory. Haylen reported that 3162 was still steamed up and ready to go at a minute's notice.

I met the Elder on the observation deck, along with Lancer-Captain Kells. Both men wore their usual outfits: Maxson in his battlecoat and Kells in Brotherhood fatigues. I was wearing my full combat armor over my Brotherhood uniform. Of the three, only I was armed.

"Sentinel, good evening," said Maxson as I stepped onto the deck. "What do you have to report?"

"We found the source of the energy readings," I answered, looking back and forth between Maxson and Kells. "They were coming from a nuclear reactor, inside of an active vault?"

"An active vault?" Kells asked. "Still inhabited?"

"Yes Captain. It's called the Yale Vault, and it functions as a university. According to their leader, Dean Ernest Gerard, the vault was built to function as a school in case the bombs should fall. Today they educate wastelanders, typically in exchange for their skills. They said that the Brotherhood is welcome in the vault at any time."

"Interesting," Maxson commented. "We've never encountered an inhabited vault so openly accepting of outsiders. Although in truth, most vaults the Brotherhood has found were deserted. Those that remained occupied typically greeted our forces with gunfire. What else did you find?"

"The vault contains a massive library, packed with books written before the war."

"Good to know. We'll post a scribe in this vault as an emissary, see what we can learn from this library. You did and your people did well today, Sentinel."

"Thank you s-" I suddenly remembered the implant from the dead super mutant. I withdrew the device from my pocket and held it out. "Sir, before we departed, the vault came under attack by super mutants. One of them was implanted with this."

"Give it here," Maxson ordered, stretching out his hand. I carefully handed the implant over. The Elder scrutinized implant for a few seconds. "Curious. This is clearly _not_ Institute technology, but appears close to their level. We'll have Proctor Ingram's people look it over, see if they can determine what exactly it was designed to do. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Sentinel."

"You're welcome, Elder. Is there anything else?"

"Negative, Sentinel. You are dismissed."

"Roger that. Goodnight gentlemen." I saluted both officers, then departed.

* * *

The following morning at sunrise, just as we were preparing to depart Union Station, I received a radio call from Elder Maxson in the CIC.

"Good morning, Elder," I said in a slightly groggy voice. "What can I do for you?"

"Sentinel," said Maxson in his authoritative tone, "Proctor Ingram and her team have completed their investigation into the implant you recovered. They have confirmed that it is of Enclave make."

"The Enclave, Sir? Who or what are they?"

"Before the Great War, the Enclave was the shadow government behind the United States. Now they are the single most powerful faction in the Wastes. Their arsenal includes highly advanced power armor, weapons, and vehicles. This implant must be their latest development. The Brotherhood has been in conflict with the Enclave a number of times, most recently in the Capital Wasteland. We had believed the Enclave presence on the Eastern Seaboard had been eradicated with the capture of Adams Air Force Base. It is likely that the Enclave has since regrouped."

"The Enclave sounds like a serious threat. Does their presence in the region affect my orders?"

"Negative. Continue your journey south with the train. We will support you from the air as best we can. Continue staying near the coast, if you are able."

"Roger that, Elder. I'll see to it at once." With that, I switched to the local channel, ordered the locomotive crew to get us moving, then finally hung up the radio. With two shrill blasts of the whistle, we were on our way once again.


End file.
